1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a broadcasting signal receiving system having an automatic recording function in which a viewer can watch a program while simultaneously recording the program, that is, a so-called time shift function. More specifically, the present invention relates to a broadcasting signal receiving system that is capable of allowing a viewer to view a missed program by a detection technology that detects whether the viewer is present or seeping.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent television receivers, each television receiver has a built-in hard disk (HD) serving as a recording medium and a time shift function that can watch missed scenes continuously by watching a program while simultaneously recording the program. However, this time shift function is only a temporary recording function. Specifically, in a case in which the viewer receives a visitor or sleeps while watching a television so that the viewer misses scenes of the corresponding program for a certain time, a first scene of the missed program is already deleted, so that the viewer can view only a portion of the missed scenes of the program even though the recorded program is reproduced.
In the meantime, a counter measure has been suggested for a case in which the viewer leaves the front of the television or sleeps while watching the television.
For example, a television receiver having the following structure has been suggested (for example, see JP-A-8-18900). According to the structure of the television receiver, if it is detected by a detection device having an infrared camera or an image recognition processing unit that the viewer does not exist in front of the television receiver, a recording reproducing device is operated so as to start recording. If it is detected that the viewer is in front of the television receiver again, the recording reproducing device is stopped, and the recorded program is reproduced from a recording starting position of the recorded program.
In addition, a display system having the following structure has been suggested (for example, see JP-A-9-34424). According to the structure of the display system, the television receiver has an awakened degree detecting unit that detects an awakened degree of a viewer. If it is determined by the awakened degree detecting unit whether the viewer enters a sleeping state, a recording unit is operated, and the television receiver is turned off. In this display system, the awakened degree detecting unit irradiates ultraviolet rays onto the face of the viewer photographed by an image pickup unit, so that a retina reflecting image is observed, thereby determining whether the viewer is sleeping.